


All We Have

by Bri_Cheese



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Family, Gen, Humor, Morphine, Season 2, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-08 08:38:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12860853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bri_Cheese/pseuds/Bri_Cheese
Summary: Alternate Universe. What if Joanie Lyman wasn't dead? Her at her brother's side after the events in Rosslyn. Just a whole lot of angst and humour.





	1. Chapter 1

“Be nice to your siblings

they are the best link to your past

and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.” - Baz Luhrmann - “Everybody’s Free”.

 

 

**Chapter 1**

 

She padded around her Manhattan apartment humming and _bumming_ Chopin’s Spring Waltz, the only sound in the home along with the microwave. She had just gotten home from work and was tidying up as she waited for her dinner to heat up. She flicked on the TV, mostly for company, but then stopped in her tracks.

 

The President had been shot. President Josiah Bartlet had been shot.

 

She gently sat down on her grey couch, fidgeting with the hem of her black dress just below her knees.

 

 _“We can now confirm,”_ the anchor was saying, _“That the third victim was Deputy…”_

“No, no, no,” she murmured to no one.

 

_“… Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman.”_

 

She screamed and cried and never felt more alone.

 

* * *

 

The flowers were stupid, but Donna had no idea what to get a man who was in the hospital possibly fighting for his life. Josh had been shot two days ago and doctors hadn’t let her see him yesterday since he had undergone a 14-hour surgery. So she had gotten up today, bought flowers and a few magazines (she knew he would prefer the newspaper but she knew that wasn’t healthy for Josh), and charged into the hospital, planning on demanding to see Josh. She had worn slacks and a comfortable sweater and she was going to read to him. She had marched passed the Secret Service agents (Josh’s room had been placed next to the President’s for security reasons) and demanded to see Josh.

 

Well, she didn’t have to demand because the nurses had told her to go ahead. But as she neared his room, Donna was caught off guard by the scene through the glass into Josh’s room. Donna only caught a glimpse, but what was happening was clear: a woman with thick, curly dark brown hair was leaning over Josh. This unknown woman was holding his hand as it rested on blue blankets on his stomach and her other hand was gently running through his hair.

 

Josh wasn’t exactly open with his personal life - but though she thought if Josh did have a girlfriend, he wouldn’t have been able to shut up about her. All of this woman’s actions were full of tenderness and love.

 

Donna backed away, confused. Why did she feel so betrayed? It wasn’t like she had claimed Josh as her own.

 

She wasn’t paying attention, so much so that she nearly ran into the First Lady of the United States as she carried a tray of food.

 

“Oh, god, Ma’am, I am so sorry.”

 

“It’s fine,” Abbey Bartlet said with a reassuring smile as she jerked the tray to successfully keep the cup of juice from spilling. Donna thought it odd that the First Lady was bringing the President his breakfast, surely a task for an aide, but it was unsurprising that Dr. Bartlet was being overprotective and controlling of all aspects of her husband in light of recent events. “Donnatella, is everything alright?”

 

“Yeah,” Donna hesitated but then the First Lady gave her a knowing look. “But there’s a woman in Josh’s room and I don’t know who it is.”

 

Abbey craned her neck to look over Donna’s shoulder.

 

“But it’s fine,” Donna said, trying to force a smile. “How’s the President?”

 

“Crotchety. He’s mad that I won’t let him have coffee.” Abbey placed the tray down at the nurses’ station just behind them and took the vase of flowers and stack of magazines away from from Donna. “Why don’t you take the old man his breakfast. I think have someone I want to meet.”

 

“Alright, ma’am,” Donna said with a smile, picking up the tray.

 

* * *

 

Abbey entered Josh’s room, trying to make as little noise as possible. Still, the woman looked up as soon as she did. The woman looked to be in her mid 40s, but it was difficult to tell due to the weathered scars that covered the right side of her face and neck, extending downward beneath her black sweater. The woman had been a burn victim many years ago. She wore thick rimmed glasses and her frizzy, curly hair was long. She hid her right hand entirely under the sleeve of her sweater. Her tired face confused for a moment before she stood, straightening her long black skirt. “Oh, so sorry, ma’am.”

 

Abbey smiled and put down the vase of flowers and magazines on the bedside table. “It’s okay. How’s he doing?” she asked, picking up Josh’s other hand and holding it.

 

She stuttered to get out an answer. “They… the doctors… took him off the ventilator a few hours ago.”

 

“That’s good,” Abbey said, sounding encouraging. She had noticed and had been glad to see Josh off the ventilator. She softly brushed the stubble on his cheek with her thumb and noticed a worn stuffed dog, along with a small book at Josh’s side.

 

“They said they are going to try to wake him in a few hours.”

 

Abbey nodded. “Good. The President will want to be in here for that. Josh is like a son to us.”

 

“He talks about you two a lot,” the woman said.

 

Abbey took a more direct approach to find out the woman’s identity. “I’m sorry we haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Abbey Bartlet.”

 

The woman looked at Josh and frowned. “Why am I not surprised? Turd-face.” She then looked up. “I’m sorry, I forgot how much he doesn’t like to talk about his family. I’m-.” She was then interrupted by the door opening. “Leo!” she gasped, breaking down into tears as Leo McGarry, Chief of Staff entered in a rumpled suit.

 

Leo crossed the room and enveloped the woman in his arms. “When did you get here? Why didn’t you call me?”

 

“I was here four hours after it happened - I got in my car and drove as soon as I heard. I heard from the news.”

 

“Ah, kid,” Leo groaned. “I’m so dumb. I was so busy. I thought the hospital would call you before the news got out.”

 

“It’s fine,” she said as he released her. She wiped her eyes in her sweater sleeve. “Took me a full day to convince the Secret Service that I was Josh’s next of kin.”

 

“Kid,” Leo sighed, hugging her again. “You should have called me. Or Sam for goodness sake!”

 

“It’s fine, I knew you guys were busy. I’m here now,” she said, returning to Josh, stroking his hair. She shut her eyes tightly. “He’s all I have, Leo.”

 

Leo rubbed her back. “I know.”

 

Abbey looked at Leo, still confused.

 

“Abbey, this is Joanie Lyman.”

 

The woman looked up at the First Lady, blinking away tears. “He’s a caveman, an oblivious idiot, and the most irritating, _annoying_ human on the planet, but he’s my little brother.”

 

* * *

 

Abbey wiped away tears before even daring to enter her husband’s hospital room. She had learned so much about Joanie and Josh Lyman in just a few short moments. They lost their dad two years ago - Abbey had know that, but their mother died in a house fire when Josh was 7; Joanie had been 13 and had nearly died herself.

 

Composed, Abbey entered the room to see her husband sitting up in bed, in his dark blue robe, frowning. Donna, Zoey, and Charlie were all across the room, arms crossed.

 

“Donna told me there was a woman in Josh’s room and _they_ ,” Jed said, pointing at the other three. “Won’t let me go see.”

 

Abbey softly kissed his cheek. “It’s his sister.”

 

“What?” all four asked in disbelief.

 

“Josh has a sister?” Donna asked.

 

“There’s a female version of Josh?” Jed asked. “Oh, I’m meeting her.”

 

She patted his arm. “Doctors are going to wake him up later today. If you are good, you can be there for it.”

 

* * *

 

Leo McGarry had always been a presence in Joanie’s life, being her late father’s close friend. She thought of Leo as an uncle and was always glad when he was around. After their mother had passed, Leo seemed to be the one person who could distract Noah Lyman from the sadness - even if it involved debating politics. But now Joanie was even more grateful for his friendly face.

 

Leo had been in and out most of the day and had offered to get someone to her food, or a ride to Josh’s apartment so she could sleep - she knew she looked like hell - but Joanie had declined. She just wanted to be with Josh and Leo understood and had made sure she got to be alone with her brother.

 

As unbearably corny as it was, she had missed Josh. Since growing up and graduating from Yale to go on to law school, Josh had always buried himself in his work, and she guessed she had too, especially since their father, who she had cared for in his last few months, had passed away. She hadn’t actually seen Josh since their father’s funeral, and that had been two years ago.

 

She and Josh talked on the phone often, but they had their own lives and that was just kinda how it was.

 

“Joshie, Joshie, we gotta fix that,” she muttered at him as she stroked his hair, mostly out of boredom. “We both really suck at relationships.” Maybe that was due to their mother dying when they were kids? Maybe it was just their personalities? Or maybe they had just become stuck in a comfortable, solitary rut.

 

The door then opened and Joanie looked up, expecting to see Leo or Josh’s doctor - who were both entering. But behind them was the President of the United States. She fumbled to stand up. She had been sitting on one of her feet, which was now asleep. Leo, thankfully, rushed and caught her.

 

“So she really is Josh’s sister!” the President exclaimed, looking way too well for a man who had just been shot. Why did he get to be joking around while her brother had been clinging to life? She knew none of this was the President’s fault and she was just being bitter and tired. “Jed Bartlet,” he introduced himself. “Joan, right?”

 

She let Leo, who was still holding her, explain, “We all call her Joanie whether she likes it or not.”

 

Meanwhile the doctor made himself busy at Josh’s side. There were a few minutes of pleasantries - similar to the exchanged she had with the First Lady. The doctor then patted Josh’s shoulder. “Josh? Josh, it’s okay, you can wake up.”

 

Joanie, who had shuffled to the head of the bed with Leo, reached out to pat her brother’s head once again.

 

“I want you to wake up,” the doctor continued.

 

Her brother seemed to murmur something as his eyes fluttered but didn’t really open.

 

The President leaned forward over him. “I couldn’t hear you, Josh.” Josh seemed to whisper something coherent as the President pulled back with a smile.

 

“What did he say?” Leo asked.

 

“He said, ‘What’s next?’”

 

Leo seemed to pull Joanie closer as the whole room let out a collective breath of relief. “He’s okay. He’s okay,” Leo said, reassuring her.

 

“Let him rest,” the doctor ordered before leaving.

 

“Sir,” Leo said to the President, “You should be resting too. Let’s get you back to bed.”

 

“Yeah,” the President said as he smiled at Joanie. “Let’s get out before we are we are witnesses to a siblicide.” Both men squeezed Josh’s arms one more time before leaving as Josh attempt to look around. He could barely open his eyes, let alone lift his head off the pillow.

 

So Joanie slipped back into the chair at the side of his bed and covered his hand with her own. He finally realized she was there as she laid the side of her head next to his. “Hey,” he said. It was more of a breath than a word.

 

“Hi,” she said, smiling through tears.

 

“You’re here.” He returned her smile with his own goofy grin and Joanie internally groaned.

 

Josh was drugged out of his mind.

 

“Yeah. I’m here.”


	2. Chapter 2

Drugged out of his mind was an understatement. Josh knew what had happened - between Joanie’s endless blabbing and Leo’s visit last night, Josh knew that he had been shot in the chest and that things had been bad, and he also knew the President had been shot, but that he was already recovering fine.

Josh knew what happened, but thanks to the drugs, he just didn’t care. It wasn’t that he wasn’t concerned for himself or his boss, but he wasn’t worried or anxious, because the drugs made everything okay.

Thanks to the drugs, the early morning lights of DC in the rain didn’t remind Josh of all the work that was piling up on his desk. Instead they reminded him of bioluminescence at the lake where he and his sister spent their summers.

Joanie had gone back to his apartment to have a shower, change, and grab something to eat. But she was going to come back. And when she did, he was going to throw Bullseye at her and she was going to laugh because she needed to laugh because she had been too sad last night.

 

Bullseye was the stuffed dog Joanie had brought and placed at Josh’s side. Bullseye was now over 30 years old and his once brown, fluffy fur had clearly seen better days. The poor stuffy was threadbare and missing one of his floppy ears.

Bullseye had a long history of making Joanie laugh. Josh had been a confused 7-year-old kid when his dad had given him Bullseye to give to his sister. 7-year-old Josh had been mad that his home and all his toys had burned, sad that his mom had died and that they had to bury her, and scared to enter the hospital room where his sister lay, so still, so quiet.

Their home had caught fire when Joanie had been babysitting him. She had been making popcorn when the kitchen caught on fire. She had urged him out, but she stayed inside to try to put it out. Then their mom had come home from shopping and told Josh to run to the neighbours to get them to phone the fire department. Later, they figured Miriam Lyman had gone into the house to try to save her daughter. The firemen had been able to rescue Joanie, but not Miriam. Something in the kitchen must have combusted, badly burning Joanie’s right hand and up her arm, neck and face.

Joanie had fought for her life for a week in the hospital - she hadn’t been able to attend her mother’s funeral. After she had been moved from the ICU, Noah Lyman, out of pure desperation to hold both his children at once, had taken Josh on a visit to the hospital. But, Josh, being stubborn, confused, mad, and sad had refuse to enter the room.

“Don’t you want to give Joanie her present?” his father had asked, practically pushing Josh into the room.

“She can have the stupid dog!” Josh had yelled and thrown the stuffed animal on the bed before running out. But as he got to the door, the dog hit him in the back of the head. Josh had spun on his heel to see his dad - his dad who had been so sad - try to stifle his laughs. Joanie, who had thrown the dog with her one good arm, was openly laughing.

“Bullseye!” she had said.

That was then when Josh learned how good it felt to make his sister and dad laugh.

Months after that, after Joanie had come home to their new house, whenever Joanie was in pain, or sad, or when she was bullied for her appearance, Josh would run, get Bullseye the dog, give him to her, then run around the room yelling and waving his hands. Whenever she hit him with hit, he would fall to the floor and she would laugh at his innocent antics.

 

The door of his room opened, bringing Josh out of his drugged induced memories. Without thinking to look who it was, Josh flung the stuffy by its tail.

“Josh? What the hell?” Donna exclaimed, entering with a large purse. “And here I thought I might actually see you subdued for once in your life,” she said as she knelt down to pick the dog up. She gave it one look and picked it up as if it were radioactive material.

Josh tried not to laugh, which was hard due to the drugs, but easy because laughing hurt too much. “I thought you were my sister. Give it here.” He was trying not to slur his words, but it was hard.

Donna placed the dog back at his side with a look of confusion on her face. “I guess I shouldn’t be hopeful about personality changes.” She laid her bag down on the table. “Also, more importantly, you have a sister?”

He looked at her with furrowed brows. “Or so our parents told us.”

She shrugged and shook her head. “You’ve just never mentioned her.”

Josh frowned, his bottom lip puffing out. “Sure I have.”

“Pretty sure I would have remembered a sister.”

“No. Her name is Joanie.”

“Well neither the First Lady nor the President knew about her, and you don’t have any pictures of her on your desk.”

“Because it’s my sister,” he said as though it was obvious. Joanie didn’t like any pictures of herself.

“I have a picture of me, my brothers and parents. You are a pretty crappy brother.”

Josh tried to sit up higher. “I’m a great brother. I’m the best.”

The door then opened and he chucked the dog again, this time hitting Joanie as she entered in an oversized grey sweater, jeans, backpack, and coffee in a brown paper cup. “Josh!” She grunted and picked up Bullseye. “I liked you better when you were stoned out of your mind,” she said, throwing the dog back at him. He didn’t have the reaction time to catch it, so it landed on his shins.

“I’m still fairly high,” he confirmed, looking down and trying to figure out how he was going to reach Bullseye.

“Obviously,” she said before turning to Donna with a smile. “You must be Donna. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said extending her left hand.

Donna shook Joanie’s hand. “You’re Joanie, right?”

Josh then raised his hand and blurted, “She only knows that because I just told her.” He then let his hand fall to the bed. “Ouch,” he grumbled.

Joanie rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him.”

“I never do,” Donna looked down at Josh with a smug look before turning back to Joanie. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise. How do you put up with him?” Joanie asked as she gestured to a chair for Donna and both women sat on either side of Josh.

Donna shook her head. “Somedays I really don’t know. The pay isn’t that good. How did you grow up with him?”

“I stuffed him in an old trunk than sat on it.” That had happened on multiple occasions.

“You’re both so mean to me,” Josh whined. “I want better visitors.”

“Sam and Toby said that they would be by later today.”

“Sam’s coming?” Joanie asked with a smile.

Josh grinned. “I think you should be more excited for Toby.”

“Why?” she asked. “I’ve never met him.”

“Because he’s your age… single… Jewish… from Brooklyn. If I were a better brother and a better Jew, I’d set you two up.”

“You are stoned and worse than the old ladies at my synagogue,” Joanie said, rolling her eyes. “Why did I tell my assistant conductors I was going to be out for a few weeks? Try to set me up, and I’ll go back to New York tonight.”

He didn’t want to address that because he didn’t want her to leave, nor did he want it to look like he needed her. He was a grown man. A thought then hit Josh and he turned to Donna. “Who’s running my office?”

“It’s all been farmed out.” Donna assured him, leaning to get the magazines she had brought yesterday. “Leo said I should come read to you to give your sister a break from trying to entertain you.” Donna looked at Joanie. “If that’s okay with you.”

Joanie shrugged. “Go ahead. Maybe I can actually get some work done,” she said, digging in her backpack. She got out a spiral-bound manuscript notebook and a pencil and began making notations.

“It’s not okay with me,” Josh grumbled. He looked at Donna. She looked so pretty with her blonde hair pulled back, wearing a more casual blue cardigan - the top two buttons of her light pink shirt undone. “I thought you were here for work. I wanna feel important.”

Donna shook her head. “Nope. Your choices of reading material today are National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, or Reader’s Digest.”

He let out a guttural grunt and his lips rose in disgust. “Can I watch TV instead? Joanie hid the remote.”

Joanie looked up - her glasses now on the tip of her nose. “Because all the channels you get in here are news, and you are certainly not watching that.”

“And you aren’t getting a newspaper either,” Donna added.

“Do you want me go insane from boredom?” Josh ranted, feeling very tired suddenly.

“Better than you dying on me.” Joanie gritted the words out, which told him she wasn’t in a joking mood.

He guiltily looked away, at Donna. “You pick.”

Donna began reading to him out of a National Geographic - something about Siberian Tigers - but Josh was instantly bored. He was also tired, but he didn’t want to go to sleep: Donna was here and she was pretty and he didn’t want to appear weak and make Joanie worry. So he reached down and flicked Joanie’s pencil.

“Joshua!” Joanie snapped.

“Laugh darn it! You are so grumpy now. You were happier when you were getting laid.” As the words were tumbling out of his mouth, he was regretting them - not something that normally happened.

Tears began welling in her eyes and that hurt Josh’s chest more than the bullet did. It would have been so much easier if she just shouted something equally as hurtful. Instead, she tearfully explained, “I almost lost you, Josh. I lost Omar, then I lost Dad, and I almost lost you and it hurt.”

She rushed out of the room.

“Joanie!” Josh shouted, but she was already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Joanie tried her best to calm her breathing as she leaned forward against the row of sinks in the women’s bathroom. She knew her brother was just being himself and his lack of a filter was only made worse by the morphine. She splashed more cold water on her face with one hand.

 

The door opened and in the reflection of the mirror, Joanie saw Donna enter. Joanie put her glasses on to see the frantic look on the other woman’s face. "What?” Joanie asked, heart already pumping hard as she strode towards the door.

“He got ready upset after you left,” Donna explained as they hurried down the hall. “He tried to get up and ripped out a staple.”

 

Joanie’s heart sank. “God, I am such an idiot.”

 

* * *

 

“Omar was my boyfriend,” Joanie explained quietly as she and Donna sat outside of Josh’s room, waiting to be let back inside. She was feeling horrible for upsetting her brother. Donna probably thought she was some cow for making Josh feel bad. “He was a librarian. We had been dating for 6 years and finally starting talking about getting married. He died in a car accident 10 months before my father died.”

 

“I am so sorry,” Donna said. “I had no idea.”

 

“I know, because Josh doesn’t talk about me, but that is just Josh, you know? If he talks about me, people will ask about me, then he’ll think about me at work and have to worry about me and that will consume him. Which is why I don’t like him seeing me cry.”

 

Donna nodded. “I’m a big sister too, I get it. He feels like he’s supposed to protect you but really, you have to protect him.”

 

Joanie nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

 

The door to Josh’s room opened and both women looked up.

 

“He’s okay,” the doctor assured them as he and a few nurses left the room. “He’s just really upset. We gave him something to help with his anxiety and to help him relax, but he’s still asking for both of you. You can both go back in, but do try to keep him calm. He needs to rest.”

 

They nodded and Joanie was first back at his side. He was lying back now, murmuring and grunting. Donna lingered need the foot of the bed.

 

Joanie placed one hand - the one covered by her sleeve - on his chest to hold him still and the other hand on his head. “Hey there.”

 

“I’m a crappy brother,” he slurred, even worse than before.

 

“Shhh, shhh. No. Just listen. I’m not mad or upset that you brought up Omar. It’s okay, I can talk about him now,” she said with a sigh. Josh wasn’t exactly around much after Omar died - dealing with the Hoynes and then Bartlet campaigns for President. Josh was really only with her after their father too passed - and even then it was only a few days of grief. Josh hadn’t seen her recover from their deaths, though she had. “I’m upset because you almost died and you aren’t taking my feelings about that seriously.” The hand she had placed on his head began stroking his hair. He gave her the faintest of smiles - Josh loved having his hair played with. “I am so scared to lose you too. And I feel horrible for not visiting because I’ve missed you.”

 

“Missed you too.” He reached a shaking pointer finger up and poking her in the cheek. “Missed your laugh.”

 

Joanie choked back a sob. All this because he wanted her to laugh. “You just aren’t that funny anymore.”

 

“I’m funny,” he tried his hardest to sound defensive.

 

“Maybe funny looking.” She smiled and he gave her the biggest drug-induced grin. She began to laugh. She rested her forehead on his. “Yeah, definitely funny looking.” She stood up. “Now, are you going to let me work?”

 

“No.”

 

“Even if Donna reads to you?” She winked at him and she saw just a hint of bashfulness cross his face.

 

“…Maybe.”

 

She ruffled his hair. “Good.”

 

* * *

 

Josh fell asleep shortly after Donna began reading again, but Joanie suggested Donna stay and she didn’t take much convincing. Joanie knew Josh liked his assistant - it was clear by the way he talked about her all the time whenever Joanie called her brother. And it was clear Donna cared for Josh by the way she fussed about him. So the two women just sat, idly chatting, while Josh slept. Joanie got lunch for the both of them, Josh woke for a couple minutes for his own small lunch, and in the mid-afternoon more visitors showed up.

 

Sam Seaborn entered with a smile - Joanie knew him since he and Josh went way back to their college days. Behind him was another man, a bit older, balding: Toby Ziegler.

 

“Is he up for some visitors?” Sam asked as he lingered at the door.

 

Joanie and Donna both smiled. “Probably,” Joanie said. “Donna, wanna poke Sleeping Beauty? He’s probably less likely to hit you.”

 

“Are we sure about that?” Donna asked, getting up.

 

“No, no,” Sam said. “If he’s asleep we can go visit the President and come back.”

 

Joanie shook her head. “No, it’s fine, he should get up for a few minutes - otherwise he’ll be up all night driving me insane. Besides,” she said, leaning back and extending an arm to Sam. “I want a hug from my Sammie.”

 

Sam entered, Toby trailing behind him to stop at the foot of the bed. Sam enveloped Joanie in a hug. “It is so great to see you again. I just wish it were under better circumstances,” he said.

 

“Me too, me too.” Joanie then deflected. “He’s pretty stoned, though, so that right there is worth the trip.”

 

Josh began to grunt at all the noise and Donna laid a hand on his bicep. “Josh, you have visitors.”

 

Josh gave her a sleepy grin. “Is it more beautiful women?”

 

Sam snorted and leaned over Josh. “Not sure you can call Toby that.”

 

“Toby? Toby?” Josh pressed a button so he could sit up a bit more “You saved my life, Toby.”

 

“No, Josh. No,” Toby said, patting Josh’s foot under the blankets. “I just found you.”

 

“No, you saved my life and for that, I give you my only sister.”

 

Donna and Sam began laughing. Toby looked around awkwardly. Josh looked way too smug.

 

Joanie rubbed her temple under her glasses. “Josh. I am going to get Sam to smother you.”

 

Sam patted Josh’s arm. “Good to see you feeling like yourself.”

 

“I feel like I did in college.”

 

Sam gave him a look. “That high, huh? You know the bosses are just next door.”

 

“Pretty sure President Bartlet understands, and Leo isn’t allowed to yell at me for this.”

 

They all talked for a few minutes - and annoyed Josh when his mushy dinner was brought in. After eating Josh began to yawn again. “Toby. Toby,” Josh murmured. “Come here.”

 

Josh began whispering and Toby had to lean over him.

 

Sam leaned into Joanie. “I feel like we are in the Godfather.”

 

“Yeah, of course, Josh,” Toby said, standing up and patting Josh’s shoulder.

 

“What did he want?” Sam asked.

 

Toby looked at Joanie. “He asked me to take you back to his apartment tonight, then to my synagogue tomorrow for service.”

 

“Josh,” Joanie sighed, not letting her annoyance show.

 

“Go,” Josh ordered. “Sleep. I don’t know how long you’ve been here.”

 

She _was_ extremely tired and knew she shouldn’t be driving.

 

“I’ll stay with him tonight,” Sam offered. “Keep him out of trouble. You guys go.”

 

Joanie nodded, packed her things, then leaned over her brother. “I swear I’m going to kill you,” she whispered in his ear.

 

“Love you too.” He grinned.

 

* * *

**Three weeks later.**

 

For a man who lived alone, Josh certainly had a lot of people to look after him. There was the home-nurse, who had come by every day for the past week since he had been released from the hospital. The home-nurse would help him bathe, redress his bandages, and make sure he was still going to live. Donna was pretty much in his apartment all day. Officially she was here to keep him up-to-date on work matters without stressing him out. Realistically she just filled him in for an half hour then monitored what phone-calls she allowed him allowed to have with other White House staff. She also brought him prepared meals. Sam, Toby, and Leo were all by throughout the day to help him go to the bathroom (though he could now do that by himself). He was getting sick of them all being around all the time. Even Charlie, CJ, and the First Lady had visited (Abbey had fussed over him like a mother).

 

Josh knew he was going to be alright. He had people around and the superintendent of his building had offered to be around in case of an emergency.

 

Still, he was going to miss Joanie. She had been at his side throughout this entire thing. She slept in his bed, which had been shoved into a corner to make room for a hospital-type bed for himself (as if Josh didn’t feel emasculated enough, now his room looked like something in an hospice house). She had been there to bring him his meals and drinks. Whenever he called, she came. Except for this evening.

 

“Joanie! Joanie!” Josh continued to call from his bed, sounding insistent rather than actually in need of her. She was leaving tomorrow morning. As much as it pained them both, not that either one would admit it, she had to get back to her own life in New York.

 

She appeared in the bedroom doorframe with a sigh, wearing a pair of pyjama pants and a t-shirt, her hair up. It was a sight that only Josh got to see, since only he didn’t gape at her scars. She was on her new cellphone, a pink Nokia (pink was her favourite colour), that Josh had bought her (it had been his idea and he paid for it, but he had gotten Donna to actually get it). “One sec, my brother needs me.” She covered the speaker and looked pointedly at him. “Are you _dying_?”

 

“… No.”

 

“Then shut up for like two minutes.” She sat on the foot of his bed and returned to her conversation. “I’m back. He’s fine, but can I please remind you that he got shot in the chest? I know I said I’d do the evening performance Christmas Eve - I always do - but I’d really like to see him in December. I never get to take Hanukah off and Christmas will be the only day he gets off so I would like to see him.” There was a pause. “Thank you.” Then she hung up.

 

“There. I’m coming for Christmas,” she told him, letting the phone flop to the bed.

 

“Wow, there’s something never said in our family.”

 

She nodded. “Well, I just love you that much.” She leaned forward to pat his cheek. It was more of a smack.

 

He swatted her back. “Well, you could just move here.” It came out before he really thought about the implications for her. She would have to give up an amazing career with the Philharmonic Orchestra. But if he asked her, she would do it, and he just did. “I mean… if you wanted to.”

 

She sighed. “I really don’t know. That’s a big move.”

 

“You can knock some sense into me. Sam and Leo too.”

 

“Josh, no one could knock any sense into you. But if I ever have any hope of getting nieces and nephews I’d better try.”

 

He deflected that comment. “Anyways, I called you in here because my movie ended and I’m not tired yet.”

 

She got up and went to the stack of rented VHSs. “What do we want to watch?”

 

“ _Star Wars.”_

She rolled her eyes but put it on and climbed into the bed with him. He wrapped his arms around her, then farted.

 

“Oh, my god Josh!” she screamed. “You’re disgusting.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**III**

 

 

**Part VI**

**Epilogue - ~4 years later**

Friday lunches were her time with her brother. Though Joanie now lived and worked in DC as one of the directors of the National Symphony Orchestra, both still had crazy busy work lives. Josh worked mainly weekdays and Joanie worked evenings and weekends. She knew there were times early on when Josh felt bad for completely uprooting her with that one suggestion (and he still swore to her that he was still high on painkillers when he had blurted it - though in reality he hadn’t been), but her, these lunches were the best 45 minutes of life some weeks, and she knew he felt the same. Which made him feel bad when had to cancel.

 

 _“Joanie, I’m so sorry,”_ he said over the phone. He didn’t sound right.

 

“It’s fine Josh,” she said, getting up from the table at the restaurant, glad she hadn’t ordered yet. “Is everything alright?”

 

Something was very wrong. _“I didn’t want worry you until I knew more, but the CODEL - the congressional delegation - we sent to the Gaza Strip hit a bomb.”_

 

Joanie knew to ask the important questions, perhaps she knew even more than her dense younger brother. “Donna? Is she okay?” It sounded like Joanie was asking about her friend - which she was - but she was also asking about the love of her brother’s life, even if he had yet to realize it.

 

There was a moment of heavy breathing. _“No. They are airlifting her to Germany.”_

 

“Joshua.” His sister rarely used his full name. “I’m coming to get you.”

_“Joanie, we don’t need to go to the synagogue to pray.”_

 

“No," she sighed, exasperated. “You need to go to Germany. I’m taking you to the airport. You love her. Even if _you_ don’t realize it, you need to be with her now.”

 

* * *

 

Two days later, Joanie picked up the rigging phone, tucked it between her shoulder and cheek, and settled back into the rocking chair. “Josh?” His brother was in Germany and was supposed to be at Donna’s side.

 

_“Joanie, I think I did something stupid.”_

Joanie sighed and rolled her eyes. “Pray tell what?”

 

_“Donna had a pulmonary embolism. They rushed her into the OR. She wanted to see me before she was put under. She couldn’t speak but she was so scared. Then I told her I loved her and then I was rushed out.”_

“Okay, first, is she okay?”

 

_“The doctors told me she should be fine. I have no idea what to do. She’s going to have to stop working for me. She’s going to be out of a job because of my big mouth.”_

“Josh, calm down. First, I know you are freaking out about this because you are _really_ freaking out about Donna. Just breathe. I know you don’t like hospitals. Second, I’m proud of you. I know you love her and she needed to hear that. Your relationship will change and I bet you it will be for the better. I know Donna well. Third, good! Because you were a horrible boss. Fourth, I know the First Lady. I’m pretty sure I can get Donna a new job with one phone call.”

 

Josh let out a deep breath. _“Okay… okay.”_ There were a few moments of silence. _“What are you doing right now? I just need to be distracted for a minute.”_

Joanie understood her brother all too well. “Right now I am rocking your niece, trying to get her down for a nap so I can actually do some work. Her dad won’t be home for another four hours.” She looked down at her eight-month old daughter. Big brown eyes looked out of swathes of pink and grey blankets. She wasn’t crying, she just wanted to play for another 12 hours as evident by the shaking of the ring of plastic teething toys in the shape of keys. “She’s hyperactive like her uncle.”

 

Josh laughed and it sounded like he needed it. _“Put me on speaker.”_ Joanie did as he asked and he started cooing. _“How’s my little tiny M &M. How’s my little sweet cutie? Are you tiring Mommy out?”_

 

The baby screeched in delight and laughed.

 

_“Do you like talking to Uncle Joshie? Is he the best uncle ever?”_

Joanie rolled her eyes but kissed the wispy brown hair of Micaiah Miriam as her brother continued to make a fool out of himself.


End file.
